Gun rack



Sept. 5, 1961 Filed Jan. 8, 1960 G. A. SURFACE 2,998,885

GUN RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. /62 QDA/E@ Jue/: CE

Sept. 5, 1961 G. A. SURFACE GUN RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lo Filed Jan. 8,1960 INVENTOR.

M m m .mm r J @A u, e W W W m United States Patent Oilce 2,998,885 GUNRACK Gardner A. Surface, 1204 Washington, Ellis, Kans. Filed `lan. '8,1960, Ser. No. 1,227 11 Claims. (Cl. '21h-64) This invention relates toa novel safety gun rack.

The primary object ofthe invention is the provision of a gun rack,especially but not exclusively, for out-of-theway installation on theundersides of the hard tops of automobiles, such as passenger carsandtrucks, and military and police vehicles, whereby the guns arecarried in a safe and secure condition, even though the automobiles beoperated at high speeds and over rough roads or in back country, as whenhunting or prospecting, and the guns are conveniently and instantlyreachable, when Wanted, from inside of the automobile.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a structurallysimple, mechanically eicient, vibrationproof, and rugged gun rack of thecharacter indicated above, which is composed of a relatively smallnumber of uncomplicated and easily assembled parts, can be easilyinstalled and serviced, the rack being adaptable to carry more than onegun, and to carry guns having different lengths and diiferentconformations of butts and sight assemblies.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gun rack ofthecharacter indicated above wherein gun butts are engaged in relativelystationary paddedy boots, and the forward ends of the barrels' and theirsight assemblies are en-gaged in padded sliding sockets which arespringpressed toward the boots, the sockets being adjustable on the rackto accommodate guns of different lengths, and gunsrbeing quickly andeasily removable from the rack merely by pushing the guns toward thesockets, against the resistance of their springs, pulling the butts ofthe guns out of the boots, and withdrawing the barrels out of thesockets, a reversed procedure being followed for securing the guns inplace on the rack, no other expenditures of time or effort beingrequired, as for undoing straps, catches', or other securing or lockingmeans.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention willbe apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings, wherein, for p-urposes of illustration only, a specic form ofthe invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a face or bottom plan view of a gun rack of the presentinvention, two guns of different lengths being shown secured on therack;

'FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE l, showing one of the guns and asocket `displaced for removal and for replacement of the gun on therack;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged exploded perspective View of the left-handsocket and boot assembly of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section taken on the line4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 5--5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken on the line 6-6 ofFIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary transverse section taken on the line 7--7 ofFIGURE 6.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designatelike parts throughout the several views, the illustrated rack comprisesa ilat, normally horizontal rigid support panel 10, of such as heavycompositionV pegboard or metal, which is to be tixed, in any suitablemanner, to a stationary surface, preferably the under-V side of a roofpanel (not shown) lin the drivers com-v partment of a vehicle, directlybehind and along the` windshield.

.Mounted on the face or underside `=12 of the support panel 10 and arelongitudinally spaced from each other crosswise of the panel 10,aresimilar socket and boot bracket assemblies 14 .and 16, which are in linewithl and reversed with respect to each other. Each assembly, as shownin FIGURE 3, comprises bracket mea-ns which is composed of a transverseangle bar 18 having a longiy tudinally inwardly directed flange 20 and alaterally inwardly directed ilange 22.. Suitably fixed to the inward.side of the ilange 20, at one end of the bar 18 is a pairY of parallelspaced, longitudinallyV inwardly extending -rst rods 24 and 26. At theother end of the bar 18 and lixed to the inward side of the flange 20,and spaced from the lirst rods 24 and 26, is a pair of parallel spacedlongitudinally inwardly extending second rods 28 and 30, the

second rods being spaced from each other at a greater.

distance than the spacing of the rst rods, all of the rods being of thesame length and have free longitudinally inward ends.

For rigidly mounting an assembly on the panel 10,the.-

second rod 28 has a laterally inwardly extending arm 32 which issuitably xed to the flange 22 and extends to-.-

ward the panel v10' and is fixed to one end of a transverse rod 34, inspaced relation to a brace rod 36, which is fixed to the other end ofthe transverse rod 34 and to the ilange 22. The `transverse rod 34 haslateral `fingers 38.

in an offset terminal 44 which is inserted through a per-V foration40and engaged securably behind the panel V10',`

as shown inFIGURES 4 and 6. Because the said rst and second rods couldbe single rods or flat bars, in certain adaptations of the presentinvention, the rst and secf ond rods are hereinafter referred to asfirst and secondV rod means, and the armk32 and the rods 34 collectivelyas bracket means.

Slidably and adjustably mounted on the second rods'28Y and 30 is arelatively stationary gun butt boot 46 which. comprises a rigid ovalouter shell 48, which is longerand wider than gun butts and recoil padsto be accomg,

modated, and which has a closed longitudinally outward end Wall 50.`kThe inside of the end wall 50 is cushioned by a pad 52, of such ascork, and the inside of the bootI side wall 54 has thereon a liner 56,of such as heavy,` felt, the pad 52 and the liner 56 serving toprotectgun butt 58, engaged in the boot 46, against abrasion damage,

and to absorb vibration and shock and ,to provide a goodV purchase ofthe boot on the gun butt 58.

The boot 46 is mounted on 'the second rod means in angledrelationshipthereto, as by means fof first collars 60 and 62, which arefixed on the panel side of the socket side wall 54 and are severallySlidably engaged oni the second rods28 and 30, and have set screws 64there-` in to be` tightened against the second rods so as to hold astationary adjusted position of the boot 46.

Adjustablymounted on the rst rod means is a barrel end receivingA socketassembly, generally designated.66,

which comprises a rigid ova-l socket 68 which is longer and wider thanthe dimensions of gun barrel ends and frontv sights intended to beaccommodated in Vthe socket 68, the socket 68having a side` wall 70 anda closed, longitudinally outward end wall 72.V The end Wall 721,

and the side Wall 70 are lined and padded like the boot Patented Sept.5., .1961

Fixed centrally on and extending longitudinally along the panel side ofthe socket side wall 70 is a combined clearance spacer and guide rib 74which has, at its longitudinally outward end, oppositely directed fixedlateral arms 76, having outwardly facing hooks 78 thereon. The rib 74and the arms 76 slide longitudinally in a slideway 80 which comprises anelongated back plate 82, along whose face side extends a pair oflongitudinal, laterally spaced guide bars 84 which are spaced from theback plate 82 but are fixed at related ends thereof to the back plate,as indicated at 86 and.88, respectively. The guide rib 74 is disposedbetween the guide bars 84 and the arms 76 are disposed between the backplate 82 and related ones of the guide bars 84, so that the socket 68 issecured to and is confined to longitudinal movements along the slideway80.

Fixed on and extending laterally from the opposite sides of the slideway80, at the longitudinally inward end of the sdileway are spring-anchorarms 90 which have inwardly facing hooks 92 on their outer ends.Contractile helical springs 94 extend along the opposite sides of theslideway 80 and are secured at related ends thereof to the hooks 78 ofthe arms 76 and the hooks 92 of the anchor arms 90, whereby the socket68 is biased Vin a longitudinally inward direction. A spacer portion 96of the piece `which forms the anchor arms 90 at and between thelongitudinally inward ends of the guide bars 84, serve as stops for theadjacent ends of the arms 76, the arms 76 being on the longitudinallyoutward ends of elongated lateral ilanges 98 on the rib 74 which slidebetween the bars 84 and the back plate 82, as shown in FIGURES and 6.

The socket assembly 66 is slidably and freely mounted on the rst rodmeans of the bracket assembly, as by means of transversely alignedcollars 100 and 102, fixed on the panel side of the slideway back plate82 and engaged over the rods 24 and 26, and provided with set screws 104to engage the rods 24 and 26.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the butt boots 46 having been adjusted onthe second rods 28 and 30, for the lengths of guns to be accommodated, agun is secured in carrying position on the rack merely by inserting thefree end of a gun barrel 106 in a socket 68, preferably holding the gunat the small 108 of its stock and pushing endwise in the direction ofthe socket, until the butt can clear the inward or open end of therelated butt boot 46, whereat the gun is angled to align the butt 57with and enter the boot 46, under the tension of the springs 94. Thecontracting of the springs 94 force the padded closed end of the socket68 against the gun barrel end and force the gun butt 58 against paddedclosed end of the boot 46, so that the gun cannot be jolted out of thesocket and the boot, or otherwise removed therefrom, except by theapplication of endwise push to the gun, of sucient `force and magnitudeto produce a reversal of the above described operations.

It is to be noted that, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the bracketassemblies 14 and 1-6 carry two guns in a compact and space-savingrelationship, which enables these assemblies to be smaller in size thanotherwise. In this relationship, the boots 46 are canted, relative totheir supporting rod means, in a direction away from the sockets 68thereon, so that the boots and the sockets can be closer together, andso that two adjacent guns can be disposed with their barrels and stocksin reversed and relatively close and somewhat nested relationship.

Although there has been shown and described herein a preferred form ofthe invention, it is to be understood that the invention is notnecessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in thestructure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof arecontemplated as being Within the scope of the invention as delined bythe claimsappended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a support, a gun rack comprising a panel secured to aside of said support, a relatively stationary gun butt receiving bootmounted on and extending laterally from the panel, a gun barrel endreceiving socket mounted on the panel and extending laterally therefromand longitudinally spaced from the boot, and spring means biasing thesocket toward the boot.

2. A gun rack comprising a rigid support panel, a relatively stationarygun butt receiving boot assembly mounted on the panel, a gun barrel andreceiving socket assembly, means mounting the socket assembly on thepanel in longitudinally spaced relation to the boot assembly and formovements toward and away from the boot assembly, and spring meansbiasing the socket assembly toward the boot assembly.

3. A gun rack comprising a rigid support panel, a rela tively stationarygun butt receiving boot assembly mounted on the panel, a gun barrel andreceiving socket assembly, means mounting the socket assembly on thepanel in longi* tudinally spaced relation to the boot assembly and formovements toward and away from the boot assembly, and spring meansbiasing the socket assembly toward the boot assembly, bracket assembliessecured to the panel and mounting said boot and said socket assembliesin spaced relation to a surface of the panel.

4. A gun rack comprising a rigid support panel, a relatively stationarygun butt receiving boot assembly mounted on the panel, a gun barrel andreceiving socket assembly, means mounting the socket assembly on thepanel in longitudinally spaced relation to the boot assembly and formovements toward and away from the boot assembly, and spring meansbiasing the socket assembly toward the boot assembly, bracket assembliessecured to the panel and mounting said boot and said socket assembliesin spaced relation to a surface of the panel, said bracket assembliescomprising transverse hars, bracket means extending between the bars andthe panel, and longitudinal rod means fixed on and extendinglongitudinally inwardly from the transverse bars, the boot and thesocket being severally and directly mounted on the rod means of relatedbracket assemblies.

5. A gun rack comprising a rigid support panel, a relatively stationarygun butt receiving boot assembly mounted on the panel, a gun barrel andreceiving socket assembly, means mounting the socket assembly on thepanel in longitudinally spaced relation to the boot assembly and formovements toward and away from the boot assembly, and spring meansbiasing the socket assembly toward the boot assembly, bracket assembliessecured to the panel and mounting said boot and said socket assembliesin spaced relation to a surface of the panel, said bracket assembliescomprising transverse bars, bracket means extending between the bars andthe panel, and longitudinal rod means lixed on and extendinglongitudinally inwardly from the transverse bars, the boot and thesocket being severally and directly mounted on the rod means of relatedbracket assemblies, said socket assembly comprising a slideway fixed onand extending along the related rod means, a slide confined in theslideway for movements along the slideway in opposite directions, asocket fixed to the slide, said spring means being connected to andstretched between the slideway and the socket.

6. A gun rack comprising a rigid support panel, a relatively stationarygun butt receiving boot assembly mounted on the panel, a gun barrel andreceiving socket assembly, means mounting the socket assembly on thepanel in longitudinally spaced relation to the boot assembly and formovements toward and away from the boot assembly, and spring meansbiasing the socket assembly toward the boot assembly, bracket assembliessecured to the panel and mounting said `boot and said socket assembliesin spaced relation to a surface of the panel, said bracket assembliescomprising transverse bars, bracket means extending between the bars andthe panel, and longitudinal rod means fixed on and extendinglongitudinally inwardly from the transverse bars, the boot and thesocket being severally and directly mounted on the rod means of relatedbracket assemblies, said panel having perforations, and said bracketmeans comprising rod components bearing against the panel and havingelements engaged through perforations, some of said elements beingengaged behind the panel.

7. A gun rack comprising a rigid support panel, a gun butt receivingboot assembly fixed on and spaced from a surface of the panel, said bootassembly comprising a boot having `a side wall end, closedlongitudinally outward end, and an open longitudinally inward end, theclosed end and the side wall being padded, a gun barrel end receivingsocket mounted on the panel and spaced from said surface in line withand longitudinally spaced from the boot assembly, said socket assemblycomprising a socket having a side wall, an open longitudinally inwardend, and ya closed longitudinally outward end, the socket side wall andclosed end being padded, said socket assembly comprising a iixedslideway, a slide confined in the slideway to work longitudinally towardand away from the boot assembly, and spring means biasing the sockettoward the boot.

8. A gun rack comprising a rigid support panel, a gun butt receivingboot assembly fixed on and spaced from a surface of the panel, said bootassembly comprising a boot having a side wall end, closed longitudinallyoutward end, and an open longitudinally inward end, the closed end andthe side wall being padded, a gun barrel end receiving socket mounted onthe panel and spaced from said surface in line with and longitudinallyspaced from the boot assembly, said socket assembly comprising a sockethaving a side wall, an open longitudinally inward end, and a closedlongitudinally outward end, the socket side wall and closed end beingpadded, said socket assembly comprising a fixed slideway, a slideconined in the slideway to work longitudinally toward and away from theboot assembly, `and spring means biasingvthe socket toward the boot,said spring means comprising contractile helical springs extending alongopposite sides of the socket, said springs being severally connected toand stretched between portions of the slideway and portions of thesocket.

9. A gun rack comprising a rigid support panel, a gun butt receivingboot assembly fixed on and spaced from a surface of the panel, said bootassembly comprisinga boot having a side wall end, closed longitudinallyout- Ward end, and an open longitudinally inward end, the closed end andthe side Wall being padded, a gun barrel end receiving socket mounted onthe panel and spaced from said surface in line with and longitudinallyspaced from the :boot assembly, said socket assembly comprising a sockethaving a side wall, an open longitudinally inward end, and a closedlongitudinally outward end, the socket side wall and closed end beingpadded, said socket assembly comprising a fixed slideway, a slideconfined in the siideway to work longitudinally toward and away from theboot assembly, and spring means biasing the socket toward the boot, andbracket assemblies comprising longitudinally inwardly extending rodmeans on which the boot and the slideway are severally mounted.

l0. A gun rack comprising a rigid support panel, a gun butt receivingboot assembly fixed on and spaced from a surface of the panel, said bootassembly comprising a boot having a side wall end, closed longitudinallyoutward end, and an open longitudinally inward end, the closed end andthe side wall being padded, a gun barrel end receiving socket mounted onthe panel and spaced from said surface in line with and longitudinallyspaced from the boot assembly, said socket assembly comprising a sockethaving a side wall, an open longitudinally inward end, and a closedlongitudinally outward end, the socket side wall and closed end beingpadded, said socket assembly comprising a fixed slideway, a slideconfined in the slideway to work longitudinally toward and away from theboot assembly, rand spring means biasing the socket toward the boot, andbracket assemblies comprising longitudinally inwardly extending rodmeans on which the boot and the slideway are severally mounted, saidboot and said slideway having .collar means slidably circumposed onrelated rod means for adjustments therealong, and position locking meanson the collar means engageable with rod means.

11. A gun rack for securement to an overhead support, said rackcomprising a rigid panel, means for securing the panel to the undersideof a support, brackets Xed to and ldepending from the panel orlongitudinally spaced locations, a stationary gun butt receiving bootfixed to one of said brackets, a gun barrel end receiving socketslidably mounted on the other bracket and facing said boot, and springmeans acting between said other bracket and said socket and yieldablyurging the socket toward the boot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS279,481 Eyster June 12, 1883 i 750,245 Arpin Ian. 26, 1904 1,209,560Cosner Dec. 19, 1916 1,601,123 King Sept. 28, 1926 2,102,078 Kemp Dec.14, 1937 2,632,619 Wilson Mar. 24, 1953 2,919,058 VThompson Dec. 29,1959 2,929,539 Safreno Mar. 22, '1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 736,565 France of1932

